Buckle fob belts



G. E. PRENTICE AND R. C. LEGAT BUCKLE FOR BELTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I. 1922.

1,430,255, Patented Sept. 26,1922.

Fig.1 Ffy. 2

Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

PATENT QFWQE.

GEDRGE E. PRENTICE, OF BERLIN, AND ROBERT C. LEGAT, OF NEW BRITAIN,

CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE FOR BELTS.

AppIication filed February 1, 1922.

Improvements in Buckles for Belts, of which the following is a specification.

Our inventlon relates to improvements in buckles for belts for mens wear, and the object of our improvement is to provide in such a buckle means for clamping the belt that operate to clamp in an efficient manner belts having different thicknesses of ma terial, the differences comprising an appreciable range, involving the combination of a sliding member having a limited sliding movement and the provision of a circuitous channel for the free end of the belt that is clamped'in the buckle.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved buckle for belts, showing parts of the belt with which it is used.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the buckle only.

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the body and the sliding member just previous to assembling the clamping lever in place.

Figure 6 a longitudinal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Figure 7 is a similar view with the parts in a different position from that shown in Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the sliding member.

Our improved buckle for belts comprises a body or frame 10, a sliding member 11 supported within said body so as to have a sliding movement relatively thereto, and a swinging lever 12 that cooperates with said body 10 and member 11 for the purpose of clamping the movable or adjustable end portion 13 of the belt 14.

The fixed end 15 of the belt 14: is secured by means of clamping devices 16 of ordinary form to one end of the lever 12. The other end 17 of said lever 12 is in the form of a nose that operates to effect the clamping of the belt end 13 in a manner to be described and intermediate said ends are the laterally directed supporting pin'tles 18.

Serial No. 533,146.

The body 10 has a plate-like front wall'19 that is bordered at the top and bottom edges by the side Walls 20 that project rearwardly, said side walls 20 being provided with means for cooperating with the sliding member 11 and the lever 12.

The sliding member 11 is made of a piece of sheet metal of special form, is opposed to the-rear face of the front wall 19, and in use slides longitudinally along said face. The special form comprises a pair of transverse ribs 21 positioned in spaced relation and connected by the intermediate plate 22,

said ribs 21 being directed rearwardly from the front wall 19 and the plate 22 being generally in close relation to the opposed portion of said front wall 19.

The means for limiting the sliding movement of the sliding member 11 comprise suitable lugs on the side walls 20 that project into the space between the ribs 21 and are thus adapted to abut against said ribs 21. As shown, said lugs are formed by means of indentations 23 in the material of the side walls 20 that project into the space mentioned and which space is designated by the character 24.

Said side walls 20 are extended rearwardly to provide cars 25 for supporting the clamping lever 12, said cars 25 having bearing openings 26 for the pintles 18, the parts being constructed and arranged so that the contacting nose 17 of said lever 12 operates generally within said space 24, whereby a circuitous path is provided through the buckle structure for the belt end 13 that is clamped by the clamping devices.

The side walls 20 may have at the rear edges inwardly directed integral wings 27 that extend over the rear side of the belt receiving space and serve to enclose and guide the belt end 13. as it is admitted to the clamping devices.

Said wings 27 are located at what may be designated as the free or receiving end 28 of the buckle structure and the space 29 enclosed thereby in cooperation with the adjacent parts of the body 10 serves as the mouth for receiving the belt end 13.

The other end 30 of the buckle may be designated as the fixed end and the clamping devices, with which are incorporated the means for securing the fixed end 15 of the belt 14, are located adjacent thereto.

The operation of the clamping devices is cooperation of the swinging lever and the sliding member.

With the lever 12 turned to the open or receiving position the space 24: is relatively open as under these conditions the nose 1'? is turned back out of the Way and also the sliding member 11 is positioned at the extreme position towards the mouth 29. The first rib 21, however, serves as an obstruction to the entrance of the belt end 13 so that as said .belt end is pushed along the sliding member 11 is slid towards the fixed end 30. Thus a gap is provided between the nose 1? and the second rib 21 through which the belt end is passed to the extent desired a part of the belt being thus positioned along the circuitous path and in position for being clamped.

Tn swinging the lever 12 to the clamping position the nose 17 operates to press the belt against the ribs 21. and by a rotating movement that tends to carry or drag the parts towards the mouth 29. The parts are constructed and arranged so that there is'such carrying or dragging of the movable parts, accompanied by a snap movement, the relative positions of the parts depending upon the thickness of the material being operated upon.

The buckle structure described is virtually automatically self-adjusting to different thicknesses of material for the belt.

d e claim as our invention 1. A buckle for belts comprising a body of channel form, having a front Wall bordered by side Walls, a clamping lever pivotally supported from said side Walls and having a clamping nose that is generally directed towards the rear face of said front Wall a sliding member interposed. between said nose and front Wall and having a limited sliding movement along said front Wall, and said sliding member having a pair of transverse ribs positioned in spaced relation, one on each side 01": said nose, Whereby a circuitous path is provided for a belt end admitted to the space between said sliding member and nose.

2. A buckle for belts as described in claim 1, lugs on said side Walls entered Within the space between said ribs on the sliding member serving as the means "for holding the sliding member in operative relation to said front Wall.

GEORGE E. ROBERT C.

PRENT i LEGA'I. 

